Fire-escape.



H. L. COOPER.

7 FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28,1910.

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Patented June 7,1910.

.' 2 SHEETS-8HEET 1.

H. L. COOPER.

FIRE ESCAPE.

A'PPLICATION FILED FEB. 28,1910.

Patented Jun7,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- j izjjzl. 6 09 0292 ANDREW a GRAHAM co. PHOTO-UThOBRkPr-lifis,WASMHGTON n c V HARRY L. COOPER, OF ALBANY, OREGON.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Patented June 7, 1910.

Application filed February 28, 1910. Serial No. 546,439.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY L. OooPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Albany, in the county of Linn and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fire escapes.

One object of the invention is to provide a Simple and improved form of portable fire escape by means of which a person may safely lower others and then himself from a burning building at any desired rate of speed.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which will be strong and durable in construction, light in weight, eflicient and reliable in operation, and which may be readily packed in a trunk ortraveling bag.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a fire escape constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section; Fig. 4 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the end of the reel shaft showing the handle having the braking mechanism swung down to an open position.

In the embodiment of the invention, I provide a combined handle and reel supporting frame 1 comprising side bars 2 connected at their upper ends by a handle bar 3. To the lower ends of the bars 2 of the frame 1 is hingedly connected a combined handle and brake carrying frame 4 com prising side bars 5, which are connected together at their upper ends by a handle bar 6, as shown. The ends of the bars 2 and 5 of the frames 1 and 4 are preferably hinged together by a rule joint connection as shown.

J ournaled in suitable bearing plates 7 secured to the outer side of the bars 2 of the frame 1 adjacent to their lower ends is a reel supporting shaft 8, on which between the bars 2 is fixedly mounted a strap winding reel 9, comprising a centrally disposed sleeve 10, which is secured to the shaft 8 by a set screw or other suitable fastening means and which is provided on its opposite ends with circular radially projecting flanges 11 to which are bolted or otherwise secured circular friction disks 12 forming part of the braking mechanism. The lower ends of the bars 2 and 5 of the frames 1 and 4 are enlarged as shown and have formed in their inner edges substantially semi-circular notches which,when the frames are brought together, engage the opposite sides of the shaft 8 'near its outer ends thus exerting a braking action on the shaft, when the handles are drawn together.

To the sleeve 10 is secured the inner end of a lowering strap 13 which may be of any suitable construction but which is here shown and is preferably formed of a light strong fiber. To the outer end of the strap 13 is secured a suitable hook or other fastening device 14 by means of which this end of the strap may be fastened to a window sill, an article of furniture, or other object sufficiently large and heavy to sustain the weight of the person descending on the escape. On one end of the shaft 8 is arranged a crank handle 15 by means of which the reel may be operated to wind up the strap when desired. On the handle bar 3 of the frame 1 midway between the bars 2 and in line with the center of the reel is a strap guide 16, comprising brackets secured to one side of the bar 3 and having revolubly mounted between the same an anti-friction roller 17. When in use the strap 13 passes from the reel up through the guide 16, whereby the frame 1 is guided in its descending movement.

To the side bars 5 of the frame 4, adjacent to their lower ends, is secured a braking mechanism comprising a yoke or bail shaped frame 18, the ends of which are bolted or otherwise secured to the bars 5 of the frame 4 as shown. To the bail shaped frame 18 opposite each of the brake disks 12 is secured a segmental brake shoe or plate 19. When the frame 4 is swung upwardly, the brake shoes 19 are brought into engagement with the edges of the brake disks 12 and by ripping the handle bars 3 and 6 of the frames 1 and 4, the brake shoes may be forced against the disks with any desired pressure to retard the rotary movement-of- In the lower ends of the bearing plates-7 .are formedieyejs or apertures with whichare adapted to be detachably engaged snap hooks or other suitable fastening devices 21 secured to theopposite ends of. a supporting, strap 22 which forms a loop or sling-adapt- .ed to support "the person descending on the :fire escape. I By means -of a fire escape constructed as; hereinshown and described, the outer or;- "hook end of the. strap13 may besecured to a child or other :person and the latter lowered fromta. burning building .at any desired speed, after which the strap may be again "wound up on "the reel the crank handle 15 and the hook end secured to the window sill or other dbj ectafter'which the operator may ilower himself to .the ground,

N From the foregoingdescri-p'tion taken in "connection with :the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will 'be readi-ly understood with- .out requiring more extended I explanation. 7 Various changes in .the form, proportion andthe minor details of construction may be 30 resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claims. I no in I. Having thus described my inventiomwhat 35 I-Cl3 llIl IlS1 3 q E. e

I. Q 1. In a fire escape, a reel supporting said supporting plat-es.

frame comprising a' pair of side bars, a handlehar connected to the upper ends of said Z connected with said reel, a lowering strap secured at its inner end to the reel and having :ongits outer end I a fastening means, braking disks fixedly; mounted on said reel, alorake carrying frame comprising side bars hingedly connectedgat their lower, ends to the side bars of's aid, reel frame, ahandle bar connected to theouter ends of said side bars, a brake frame connected tosaid ba-rs adjacent to their inner ends, 'brakeshoes arranged in said frame toengage said-disks,

- supporting plates secured to said reel frame,

a body supporting strap, and means to detachably secure the endsof said strap to e '2. In a fire escape, a reel supporting frame, a handle connected therewith, a reel revolubly mounted in the frame, alowering strap connected .with the ,reel, braking disks fixedly mounted on the reel, a f-brakecarry- 'i-ng frame hingedly connected to the reel frame, .a brake frame, brake shoes arranged in the brake frame to engage said disks, supporting plates secured 'tosaid reel frame, a body. supporting strap, and means to detachably connect the-ends or. said strap to said supporting plates. V

. lnitestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand presence of {two subscribing witnesses. V i 7 7 7 HARRY L. COOiPER. Witnesses: i f f C. (1.. BRYANT, v 'A. M. iCHAsri. 

